Nevada County residents, from left, Judy Kenney and Chris Parks bring their canine companions to receive a touch of the divine during the Blessing of the Animals, to be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W. Main St., near downtown Grass Valley. Photo by Trina Kleist

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. October 22, 2018 – All creatures great and small will be welcomed at a Blessing of the Animals at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley.

Humans also may attend, if accompanied by a responsible animal.

This free and informal event commemorates St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century rich, Italian playboy who accepted God’s call to empty his life and become an example of love and service to all. Francis believed all nature mirrors the Divine. He wrote a song that included praises for the sun and moon, and he was reputed to preach to birds, whom he called his “sisters.”

For more information, visit www.PeaceLutheranGV.org or call Peace Lutheran Church at (530) 273-9631.